When it comes to reading your house plans, it can be quite confusing. It seems as though there are too many symbols, lines and drawings to decipher. With a quick overview of the items that make up your plans, you will be reading them in no time.

The first thing you need to do is take your ranch style home plans and spread them out where you have plenty of room. You should probably make plenty of room on a large table so you don’t feel cramped while trying to read them. There are several different sections that make up your house plans. There are the site plan, the floor plan, and an elevation. Depending on your house plans, you might have even more parts that go with the plans. These plans are little maps that help each different construction worker do their job exactly right.

The site plan is drawn to show the location of the home on the property and how it will sit within the boundaries of the lot. This plan is drawn from the overhead perspective so those who will be pouring the foundation know where to begin. The site plan also includes the location of utility services, easements, driveways and walkways. You can use this drawing to get a general idea of what your house will look like in the empty lot that sits there now.

The floor plan is exactly what you think it is. This plan is an overhead drawing of each floor of the house. Each floor will have its own page of drawings, including any basements. The floor plan will indicate walls, rooms, doors and windows. The exact measurement of each item drawn on the plan is also indicated at their proper places. Your cottage house plan will also show where the water heater, furnace, cabinets, lights, electrical outlets and more will go. Showers, toilets, bathtubs, refrigerators, dishwasher and other appliances will also be drawn into place. As you look deeper in detail at each drawing, you will become familiar with all of the different symbols.

The elevation is a scale to scale drawing of the house from the front, rear and each side. They will specify ridge heights, roof pitches, exterior finishes and more. This drawing will be the simplest of all the drawings in your small ranch house plans package. As you look at your drawings as a whole, you will then be able to imagine what you home will look like in three dimension. When you house plans are complete, construction can finally begin.